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The Our Lady of Sion College
Newsletter
College Theme 2017 - Called to be a light for the world
IMPORTANT DATES
1065 Whitehorse Road, Box Hill, 3128
Tel: 9890 9097 Fax: 9899 1456
Email: [email protected]
PRINCIPAL: Mrs Tina Apostolopoulos
From the Principal
This year, the theme for Catholic Education Week held between 12 – 19
March - “Moved by the Love of Christ” complimented our own College
theme, “Called to be a Light for the World” and provided a number of
opportunities for reflection, prayer and celebration not only of what it
means to be a Catholic school but also how our students are excelling and
contributing to our community. As reported in our last newsletter, our
College Captains, Merryn Hughes and Emily Bennett accompanied by Mr
John McInerney, participated in the Archbishop’s Conversation with
Student Leaders which led up to Catholic Education Week. This forum
provided young people from across 18 Catholic secondary schools with
the chance to dialogue with the Archbishop about faith and life issues
which are uppermost in their minds. The event has been recognised on
the Catholic Education Melbourne website where I hope you will enjoy
reading Merryn and Emily’s reflections.
http://www.cem.edu.au/news-events/newsContent.aspx?id=2147485315
IMPORTANT DATES
Week B
Mon 27 Mar
Year 8 Camp
Tue 28 Mar
Year 8 Camp
Wed 29 Mar Year 8 Camp
Fri 31 Mar
Students dismissed @ 1:00pm
It is also with great pride that I announce that a number of the highlights of
this important week in Catholic education included other students from
Our Lady of Sion College.
On Thursday, 16 March, Mr Paul Kerr
and I attended the presentation of the
Fr James Wall Bursary. This bursary
recognises four students from the
Melbourne archdiocese for their
academic
achievement
and
contribution to their school and to the
broader community. It was with
pleasure that we were able to support
and congratulate Sophie Chan at this
event for her wonderful achievement.
Sophie who was also accompanied by
her parents was presented with her
award by Archbishop Dennis Hart who
emphasised the importance of Sophie’s
contributions to the community.
Last day Term 1
Week A
Mon 17 Apr
Easter Monday
Tue 18 Apr
Term 2 Commences
Year 10 Duke of Edinburgh
Wed 19 Apr
Year 10 Duke of Edinburgh
Thu 20 Apr
Year 10 Duke of Edinburgh
Ayin City Experience Presentations
Fri 21 Apr
Year 10 Duke of Edinburgh
Sarah Roberts who is currently completing Year 12 was recognised last
Sunday for her extraordinary artistic ability. Sarah won the Julia Flynn
prize at the 2017 Catholic Education Visual Arts Exhibition held in East
Melbourne in recognition for her piece titled: Foreign Condiments. Her
prize was presented to her by Ms Alice Fennessy from the National
Gallery Victoria. Sarah created this piece in 2016 when she accelerated in
her studies and completed Units 3 & 4 Studio Arts as a Year 11 student.
Page 1
From the Principal...
This the most prestigious award of the exhibition and this wonderful
recognition is testament to Sarah’s creativity and hard work. I would also
like to congratulate her Studio Arts teacher, Mrs Jenny Schwab for
supporting Sarah to achieve such an excellent standard.
Our College Vocal Ensemble led the singing at the St Patrick’s Day Mass at
the Cathedral on 17 March. This is the second year that our CVE and
musicians have been invited to do so. This year, however, we were also
very proud of the fact that Mrs Kristen Beayni, our Director of Voice, was
appointed as the Musical Director and Conductor of the choir and
musicians. Please visit the Catholic Education Melbourne website for further
highlights of our involvement:
http://www.cem.edu.au/news-events/news/item/2147485321/
Some of our SRC Leaders and Liturgy Captains represented Our Lady of
Sion College and were also fortunate to have been greeted by the
Archbishop at the conclusion of the Mass.
It is wonderful to honour and celebrate the achievements of our students
knowing that the environment that we provide as an all-girls Catholic
secondary College supports students to grow in faith and in personal
development and where their gifts and talents can be nurtured and shared.
Enhancing Catholic School Identity Survey
All parents/guardians should now have received a letter inviting them to
participate in the 2017 Enhancing Catholic School Identity Survey. The
survey is conducted every four years and is intended to provide Catholic
schools with feedback from all staff, students and parents/guardians on two
broad areas: how they see our school currently and how they would like to
see Our Lady of Sion College as a Catholic school in the future. This
information is then used to inform our policies and practices with regards to
Catholic identity so that Our Lady of Sion continues to provide the faith and
social justice opportunities that work towards ensuring we remain an
excellent Catholic school for girls. If parents/guardians have not received
the letter and instructions for completing the survey, they are kindly asked to
contact Ms Fiona Maddern or Mr John McInerney on 9890 9097. Please
note that the survey may be completed anytime between now and 19 May. I
thank parents/guardians for their time in providing this feedback.
2019 Year 7 Enrolments
Enrolment applications for current Year 5 students who will begin Year 7 is 2019 are now open. This is in line with new
enrolment dates as set by Catholic Education Melbourne. Current families with girls in Year 5 are reminded that they will
need to submit an application by 25 August 2017 to ensure enrolment for their daughter. Families are also kindly asked to
remind friends or other family members who may be considering Our Lady of Sion for their daughter of this date.
Collection Notice
Please find attached to this newsletter a 2017 Student Residential Address Collection Notice from the Department of
Education and Training advising you that the College has been asked to provide a statement of addresses to the Australian
government in accordance with Section 21 of the Australian Education Regulation 2013. This collection is intended to
update information currently held by the government in order to ensure federal government funding calculations for our
school are accurate. Please note that if you have any queries regarding this notice you may do so via the contact details
(email or phone helpdesk) at the bottom of the notice.
God bless for the fortnight ahead.
Tina Apostolopoulos
Principal
Page 2
Deputy Principal
Faith and Mission
Hello! Yes, I attended the Adele concert on Saturday night. I had heard that it was a great show and I
love most of her music - and it certainly lived up to my expectations.
It's great when you look forward to something so much and then, when you experience it, it is all and
more than you hoped for. I've actually had two experiences of this in less than a week.
The Adele concert was one, the celebration of Catholic Education Week was the other - however, this
time I had no idea what to expect.
At the conclusion of the St Patrick's Mass at the Cathedral (where our College Vocal Ensemble led the
singing so beautifully) I attended the Colloquium sponsored by CEM (Catholic Education Melbourne)
with a group of our SRC and Liturgy leaders. It is crucial that our girls attend such events as it
highlights to them that they are part of a wider Catholic community and, not only does it support their
own religious and spiritual formation, but it also supports them in their leadership roles so as to enable
them to pass on their learning to others within our school community.
Presentations at the Colloquium included a session from Fr Rob Galea – a priest in the Sandhurst
Diocese who some may remember was a contestant on ‘The X Factor’. The girls who attended heard
Fr Rob share his own personal story and were inspired by the message that no matter how difficult and
challenging life can be at times, God is always present in our lives. Below are some reflections from
girls who attended.
Something in particular that stayed with me was listening to Father Rob convey his experiences
through songs. When you heard the stories of all he went through it was inspiring and extremely
moving to hear him display these emotions through music. It was incredible to meet such a loving
person who has come such a long way in his life.
Elizabeth Dixon, 10 White
When asked to represent Sion at the combined Catholic schools Mass I wasn’t sure what to
expect. Arriving at St Patrick’s Cathedral I soon became aware of the enormity of what I was about to
take part in. There were over 2,000 Catholic school students that attended this event. Walking down
the aisle and carrying our Sion banner with Sally, I had a sense of pride in representing my school.
Jessica Simmons, 10 Silver
Deputy
Principal
After attending St Patrick's Day Mass in the city with a large number of other Catholic schools from all
over Melbourne, we also took part in the Colloquium. Along with several other schools, we heard from
Fr Rob Galea, a contestant on the 2015 season of X Factor and a man with a truly inspiring message.
Fr Rob devotes his life to sharing the message of God as well as the essential belief that God's love is
never-ending and unconditional. Thank you to Mr McInerney and Mrs Apostolopoulos for organising
such a wonderful celebration day of St Patrick for all of the students involved.
Mia Blezard, 10 Green
John McInerney
Deputy Principal - Faith and Mission
Page 3
Deputy Principal
Learning and Teaching
It has certainly been an exciting term full of many learning opportunities at all levels. With the term
quickly coming to an end students are engaged in a variety of assessment tasks. Assessment is an
important part of the learning cycle and students are encouraged to view assessment as an opportunity
to demonstrate their learning as well as an opportunity to identify the next steps in their learning. It is
also another opportunity for students to engage in dialogue about learning with their teachers. I
encourage students to ask questions if they need further clarification; to let their teachers know if they
have any concerns about their progress or if they feel that they require more challenge. Teachers and
students share a special and important learning partnership.
While academic results are very important at all levels, so is the process of learning. Sometimes we
don’t achieve the result we would like especially when we have worked so hard. When this happens as
it does to all of us, it is important to identify what you need to do next time. A learning conversation with
your teacher is a good place to start.
Semester One Student Progress Meetings
Student Progress Meetings provide an opportunity for students, parents/guardians and teachers to
discuss student learning progress and are another means through which students receive feedback
that guides future learning. It is important to bear in mind that learning is a progression and each
individual learns at their own pace.
Student Progress Meetings will take place as follows:
·
Thursday, 27 April 2:00pm - 8:30pm
Surnames A-K
·
Tuesday, 2 May 2:00pm - 8:30pm
Surnames L-Z
Parents/guardians will receive details shortly via email. Detailed instructions will be provided for how to
book meetings through the PTO link which is located on Edumate. Students are required to attend
these meetings.
I would like to take this opportunity to wish all our families a happy and safe term break.
Michelle Rosella
Deputy Principal Learning and Teaching
Page 4
Deputy Principal
Student Wellbeing
Developing Resilience
Growing up, like the rest of life can have its problems. All students have typical struggles and conflicts
with friends and family members, as well as disappointments and frustrations when life doesn't go their
way. Research shows that the key to overcoming life's hurdles is resilience. Resilience involves
behaviours, thoughts and actions that can be learned, developed and strengthened in anyone to
increase the ability to bounce back from difficult experiences.
Martin Seligman, researcher psychologist and author of The Optimistic Child, has argued that the current
generation of young people are less resilient and less able to cope emotionally with life and “bounce
back” from adversity compared to young people of earlier generations. Seligman attributes this to
parents in the last 25 or so years being over-protective of their children and focusing too much on trying
to make their children happy and developing self esteem, and not enough on teaching them to cope with
hard times.
In a society that is sometimes fraught with dangerous temptations and instability, is it no wonder that as
parents we have all probably been guilty of the above. But for all the best of our intentions, have we
poorly equipped our children to handle the challenges of life?
Our challenge therefore is to discover ways in which families and schools can work together to build
greater family and community support for young people. The road to developing resilience is a lifelong
journey. Working collaboratively to develop resilience is time well invested as resilience produces
stronger individuals who are better able to weather whatever life brings.
While promoting resilience can be achieved with classroom practices, there are several ways parents/
guardians can continue to support and cultivate approaches and habits that encourage resilience. Some
of these include:
1. Keeping things in perspective and maintaining a hopeful outlook
2. Nurturing a positive self view and attitude
3. Making connections
4. Looking for opportunities for self-discovery
5. Moving towards the achievement of goals
6. Accepting that change is a part of living
Deputy
Princi-
For example, when your daughter is confronted with something that she perceives to be stressful, help
her look at the situation in a broader context and keep a long-term perspective. Help her see that there
is a future beyond the current situation. An optimistic and positive outlook can empower her to see the
good things in life and enable her to persist even in times of adversity or hardship. Remind her of
occasions in the past when she has successfully handled hardships and then guide her to an
understanding that these past challenges can help her build the strength to cope with future challenges.
The Year 8 camp is fast approaching and the level of eagerness and excitement is rapidly increasing as
the departure date draws closer.
A great deal of time and effort has been put into the organisation of the camp with every effort being
made to try and ensure that students have been placed with some of their friends. Inevitably there are
always some disappointments. This is an ideal example of where parents can help to develop resilience
by adopting some of the suggestions outlined above.
Camp is a wonderful chance for the girls to experience new things, set challenging yet achievable goals,
develop new friendships and make connections. It is an opportunity for students to develop some
approaches and habits that encourage resilience including positive attitudes and emotions, feelings of
competence, development of social skills and physical health.
I would like to encourage every student to embrace every opportunity available to them and wish them
and the staff a safe and enjoyable camp.
Page 5
Deputy Principal
Student Wellbeing (cont)
Change Over to Winter Uniform
From the beginning of Term 2 until the end of Term 3,
students need to wear the winter academic uniform to and
from school. Parents/Guardians and students are
reminded that tights must be woolen or of a denier high
enough not to be transparent. Please take the time to
check that the school skirt is worn at the knee and no
higher. The upcoming holidays are the perfect time to
have the skirt length altered if your daughter has grown
over the summer. Queries should initially be directed to
your Homeroom Teacher.
Supporting Sion Families
Some people in the Our Lady of Sion community will know
the Minuzzo family and understand the health challenges
the girls, Johana (Year 12) and Ella (Year 9) have
experienced over the past year. The Our Lady of Sion
Community can now support the family’s effort to give
back to the Royal Children’s Hospital and the staff who
cared for the girls by sponsoring them in the “Run for the
Kids” fundraiser.
Thank you again for any support you may be able to
provide.
Christine Kralj
Deputy Principal - Student Wellbeing
eSmart Update
Generation Next is a fantastic resource environment which can be found on Twitter, Facebook and Youtube, and gives many updates,
strategies and resources to all community members.
In one of their recent offerings, they also spoke about cyberbullying, a topic that we have focused on this term.
“If 20% of children engage in cyberbullying, that means that 80% are not and are generally interacting with the online space in a
positive way. Knowing that most kids are already generally responsible online, how can we collectively encourage better behaviour
online? Greg Gebhart discusses ways we can encourage good digital citizenship skills, the importance of modelling positive technology
use and how young people can look after their digital footprint.” (Generation Next, 2017)
I would like to encourage all community members to take the time to view the following Youtube clip that encourages and supports the
role of parents/guardians in our digital landscape.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmWp3SB3AoI
On behalf of the e-Smart committee I look forward to helping to provide information and start conversations within your home in relation
to the responsible and safe use of technology.
Adam Rieusset
eSmart Committee
Page 6
Year Level News
Year 7
From Wednesday, 8 March until Friday, 10 March our Year 7 students attended their annual year level
camp - their first as students at Our Lady of Sion. After arriving at school bright and early we boarded
the buses to commence the journey to Warburton where Arrabri Lodge is located. After a short tour of
the lodge and surroundings, the students launched themselves into a number of different activities
designed to push them out of their comfort zones. They participated in a number of physical and group
challenges, including things like a giant swing, flying fox, climbing wall, swimming, a games room, mini
golf, archery, bootcamp, a ropes course and a trip into town. Our first night ended with a bush dance
and night walk to roast some marshmallows around the campfire before heading to bed ready for
another busy day.
Thursday was action packed, as the students continued with their activities and prepared for the
evening activity - a newspaper fashion parade. It was wonderful to see so many budding fashion
designers and models show off their work. Friday saw the last few remaining activities before saying
goodbye to Warburton to head back to school.
All of our Year 7 students are to be commended for the way in which they conducted themselves during
the camp. It was so pleasing to see each and every student giving her all, and trying new activities and
supporting her peers. Camp is an opportunity to meet new people and to challenge yourself, and it was
wonderful to see so many students embracing this challenge, as well as our focus on fostering a sense
of belonging, with energy and enthusiasm. The camp was also an excellent opportunity for students to
meet other students in the year level, to form new friendships and to further those already existing. I
hope the students will take these new friendships and their experiences from camp into all that they do
throughout the remainder of this year.
Brianah Walsh
Year 7 Coordinator
Page 7
Year Level News
Year 8
It is hard to believe that we are approaching the final week of Term One. I would like to commend the
Year 8 students on how well they have settled into Year 8 life and all that goes with it. Year 8 is a big
change from Year 7, not only in the classroom but socially. The Year 8 students have been developing
their social skills and interacting with new people in their homerooms and through the many extra
curricula opportunities available to the them. I would like to ask parents and guardians to continue
communicating with their daughters about the normality of social changes in Year 8 as there have been
lots of new friendships forming and this will continue from camp and as we head into Term 2.
The Year 8 homeroom team and myself have been working with your
daughters on our focus of ‘Putting our best foot forward’ especially
when this comes to developing new friendships. We have explored
what putting your best foot forward means to them and how they can
apply it to their everyday lives. Our focus will be explored more on
camp which is taking place from Monday, 27 March - Wednesday, 29
March at the Summit in Trafalgar. The Summit allows the girls to
challenge themselves in ways they did not think possible. Year 8
camp is also an opportunity for the girls to continue developing
together as a year level as well as individually. I would like to thank
parents and guardians for their continued support this term and in the
lead up to camp.
Michelle Rudd
Year 8 Coordinator
Year 10
With Term 1 nearing completion, I am aware of a number of assessments that have been completed in
many subjects. This has been such a busy time as we head towards the break and some of the
students have found this quite taxing. As a year level team, we have continued to guide students on
managing their workload and balancing their priorities. The girls have had such a positive term and
have approached their subjects with interest and vigour.
This week during our pastoral session, the Year 10 students worked on the theme of their reflected best
self. The groups discussed their personal strengths using the 24 strength cards and website developed
by the Martin Seligman from the University of Pennsylvania and began creating a Personal Strengths
profile. We intend to reflect on this at different times during the year, such as during examination
preparation.
The Class Leaders have met and have planned some year level activities which will begin next term
after the Adventurous Journey.
I would also like to thank the families who participated in the 1000 steps on
Sunday. Although the weather was warm, it was a nice morning and I know the
girls really enjoyed it.
I would like to thank the support I have received from parents and guardians
this term and look forward to a busy Term 2 beginning with our journey to Falls
Creek and Mount Stirling. You would have already received an email regarding
final arrangements for a voluntary pack check and camp arrangements.
Please don’t hesitate to contact me if the need arises.
Paul Kerr
Year 10 Coordinator
Page 8
Year Level News
Ayin City Experience
Last week saw our Year 9 students venture into Melbourne’s CBD for four days to experience the sights,
icons and culture of our wonderful city.
After the completion of the Race Around the City on the first day, students were able to navigate their
way from place to place with greater confidence.
The students were given the opportunity to visit a range of venues over the four day period. These
included the National Gallery of Victoria, the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the Australian Centre for the
Moving Image, the Big Issue Classroom, Urban Seed, the Old Melbourne Gaol, the Police Museum, the
Shrine of Remembrance, the Melbourne Museum, the Victoria Market, the Botanical Gardens and
Lygon Street.
On the final day of the City Experience, the girls worked in small groups to discover more about their
chosen research topic relating to a particular aspect of Melbourne.
The Ayin Program at Year 9 seeks to promote opportunities for the students to engage with the broader
community and to gain a deeper insight into the world that exists beyond the walls of the classroom. The
City Experience has proven to be an important component of the program allowing the girls to develop a
range of skills including teamwork, time management, flexibility and problem solving.
We are very much looking forward to viewing the City Experience presentations prepared by the girls on
Thursday, 20 April at 7:00pm. All Year 9 parents/guardians are welcome to attend this evening.
Leanne Anderson
Ayin Coordinator
Page 9
Year Level News
Year 11
It is fantastic to see the progression and development of the Year 11 students over the first term of their
Notre Dame experience. I have seen a lot of positive change and growth among students. With lots of
assessments and work to wrap up the term, I please ask that you continue to encourage your
daughters to persist and work efficiently up to the end of term.
Students will be required to complete some holiday tasks as set by subject teachers, so please help to
emphasise the importance of not leaving it to the last minute and to continue to use the positive study
habits they have been working on throughout the term. It is also a time where students can reflect on
and adapt their current approach over the term and implement any changes that may help to improve
this.
I wish all students and their families a wonderful and safe holiday break and a Happy Easter. I have
communicated to your daughters the importance of finding time to do things they enjoy, to relax and to
spend time with family and friends over the two weeks. I look forward to seeing your daughter on her
return in Term 2, to continue in her journey in uncovering her potential.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact myself or your daughters Homeroom teacher.
Lauren Amalfi
Year 11 Coordinator
From the Careers Room
Your Career is like a garden. It can hold an assortment of life’s energy that yields a bounty
for you. You do not need to grow just one thing in your garden. You do not need to do just
one thing in your career.” Jennifer Ritchie Payette (Author and Operations Manager
Harwood Institute of Public Innovation)
Students and families can find the Fortnightly Careers newsletter at : http://www.olsccareers.com/?page=newsletter
In this fortnight’s newsletter there is information relating to:
* Upcoming events - Deakin Experience day, Monash Discovery day, Inside Monash Seminar Series
* Career in the spotlight - Nursing
* Things to Consider - Year 10 Work Experience reminder
* One for the diary - Veterinary Science and Hospital Open Day, Health Course Information Session - Deakin,
Make it possible Melbourne
* Research ideas - Deakin Explore, New Nutrition course at ACU
Brooke O’Hara
Careers and Pathways Counsellor
Page 10
Year Level News
Year 12
Term one is quickly drawing to a close and, for our Year 12 students, it represents one-third of their year already
concluded.
Over the remaining week of this term and throughout the term break, I would like to emphasise the importance of
keeping a normal routine, getting adequate sleep, and ensuring a balanced diet and regular exercise.
Sleep is absolutely essential for the continued physical and mental growth for our students and our students still
require a good 9-10 hours of sleep per night, every night. It is important that a good routine for both going to sleep
and waking up is maintained and developed. This will allow for a better cognitive performance in all subjects, and
will also ensure that our students are more alert and effective when studying.
Diet is also essential to ensure that students thrive each and every day. Sound nutrition offers many behavioural
benefits including, improved concentration and memory, increased energy levels and immunity boost to protect
from illness.
Finally, routine is an essential key to success. Our term break will facilitate some well-deserved down time for our
students, but in saying this, it is vital that all students continue to work diligently on all of their subjects. Ensure that
notes are completed and up to date and that all key knowledge and key skills are clear. I encourage that all study is
completed in ‘normal school hours’ during the upcoming break so that sleep is not compromised in any way.
Each person’s routine is different and what works well for one, may not work well for another. It is with this in mind
that I encourage all Year 12 students to take the time to reflect and review their routines over the coming weeks.
Our foci for the past cycle have been, “Thinking flexibly”, which is challenging us to be able to change perspective,
generate alternatives and consider all options. We are also reflecting on scripture from Isaiah 7:10-14 “Here am I,
Lord; I come to do your will” and over our past two Chapel sessions we have continued to explore strong
women, such as Saint Mary MacKillop who epitomised ‘charity towards her neighbour’ and tireless work to establish
schools and educate the young.
Student Progress Meetings
I take this opportunity to flag our upcoming Student Progress Meetings that will occur early in Term 2. These
conversations are a great time to further explore your daughters strengths and areas for improvement and are a
key component to further relationships that will foster the greatest outcome for your daughter throughout this year. I
am very much looking forward to seeing all Year 12 families at these meetings.
On behalf of the Year 12 Pastoral team I wish all families a restful term break and hope you get to share the time of
Easter with family and loved ones.
Adam Rieusset
Year 12 Coordinator
Page 11
Student Leadership
International Women's Day
Wednesday, 8 March marked International Women's Day and, in solidarity with the global community, Sion proudly
came together, sporting purple ribbons, to celebrate the courage and achievements of all women across the world.
As a girls’ school, it is especially uplifting to appreciate how wonderful it is to simply be who we are, both as
individuals and as a strong, unified community. It was also an opportunity to acknowledge the progress that still
needs to be made by all to achieve gender equality.
Homeroom in the morning began with the screening of an entirely student made and led prayer video, reflecting
upon the female role models important in our community, students' hopes for all women across the world, and the
courage we can gain from the example of Mary; an ordinary young woman called upon to live an extraordinary life.
During lunch time, the piazza was filled with students enjoying live entertainment from some very talented staff and
student open-mic performers. Organised by our Music Captain, Jade Harrington, the concert proved to be a highlight
of the day and a fun experience for students to sing along to some motivational female power ballads and other
songs promoting respect and unity. Finally, the day drew to a close with Alicia Keys’ hit ‘Girl on Fire' replacing the
final school bell.
Then on Thursday at lunchtime a Staff vs Student debate was held with the topic argued being 'The media provides
bad female role models'. Coordinated by Debating Captain, Sophie Agathagelidis, the impassioned and thoughtprovoking battle attracted a theatre full of enthusiastic spectators.
We are extremely grateful to all of the staff and students who put their time and energy into preparing and
conducting such a special celebration, and to the whole school for embracing it so enthusiastically. We hope that
this International Women's Day empowered our school community to not only stand up for justice but also to
continue celebrating our own potential as young women for many more years to come.
Emily Bennett and Merryn Hughes
College Captains
International Women’s Day Breakfast
On Wednesday, 8 March, a group of Year 11 and 12
students attended the annual International Women's Day
breakfast organised by Women's Health East and Rotary.
Although the breakfast was delicious and the perfect way to
start the day, the most valuable and inspirational part of the
day was listening to renowned speakers Diane Dunleavy,
Melissa Hickey, Amy Mullins and Rebekah Lacy discuss the
issue of 'Is the Media Women's friend or foe?'. This issue led
to discussions surrounding the equality of women, the
journeys of these inspirational women to get where they are
today and the challenges that women still face within society
but particularly within the workforce. These speakers
reminded us that there has never been a time where women
can make more of a difference within the world than now.
This opportunity was something that those who attended will
never forget and we would like to thank Rotary who allowed
us to attend this remarkable event.
Madeline Daws, 11 Purple
Page 12
VCAL News
Notre Dame
VCAL at Our Lady of Sion
The Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) is a senior secondary certificate of education recognised
within the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF). The VCAL can include components of accredited Vocational
Education and Training (VET) and Further Education (FE) qualifications. Students study VCAL at Foundation,
Intermediate and Senior levels. They study Literacy, Numeracy, Work Related Skills, and Personal Development
Skills. Students will also participate in work placements during the year.
The VCAL qualification aims to provide the skills, knowledge and attributes to enable students to make informed
choices about pathways to work and further education. Personal development, students’ interests and pathways
for senior secondary students, in the context of applied learning underpin the principles of VCAL.
Clare Kelly
Senior Learning Leader
The VCAL students have made a great start to the term. They have been busy planning and organising their
exciting projects. Part of the Sion charism is to be ‘concerned always for justice, truth, reconciliation and peace’.
With this in mind a couple of groups have chosen to become involved in a fabulous national campaign called ‘A
Million Stars To End Violence Project’. This campaign aims to raise awareness about domestic violence, violence
on our streets, racism and harassment. The VCAL students will be running a campaign at school and have chosen
to focus on domestic violence in particular. Over the coming weeks they
will present information to various year levels and outside community
groups about domestic violence. The College theme for 2017 is ‘Called to
be a light for the world’. The VCAL students will be asking Sion students
to actively participate in this theme by taking a stand against domestic
violence. How will they do this? – by weaving stars. The VCAL students
will run a number of workshops between now and the end of Term 2
asking students and specific community groups to weave stars. The stars
will be sent to Brisbane to be used in a ‘star installation’ being created for
the Commonwealth Games in 2018. The VCAL groups have set a target
of 4000 stars for our school. If you would like to support this very worthy
cause then please feel free to ask your daughter to bring home some
ribbon. You can enjoy a lovely afternoon weaving stars together.
Karen Coady
VCAL Personal Development Teacher
Work Placement Experience
As a part of the Work Related Skills course for the Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) students
participate in work placement on a regular basis throughout the two years of the course. This provides students
with vocational skills development, experience in the industry they are interested in and plays an important role
towards employability outcomes and preparation for the workplace in the future.
Every Friday as part of my VCAL studies, I work at Good Start Early Learning Centre,
Box Hill. I start at 8:30am and finish at 2:00pm. Throughout the day I do lots of different
things to assist in the centre such as feeding children, playing with them, helping to put
them to sleep and supervising them. Throughout my time at the centre I have been in
the Pre School room, Toddler room and Babies, with the babies being my favourite.
Rachel O’Rourke, 11 Purple
Every Friday I go to work placement at Templestowe Valley Kindergarten. I used to go
to preschool there when I was little. I love being with the children, they are great to be
around. The kindergarten opens at 8:20am and I get there at 8:30am to put out the
play dough and the lego, unpack the sand pit and get all the toys out for when the
children come in and start to play. I’m there all day, until 4:30pm. During the day I help
supervise the children and play with them. It can be a very tiring job.
Brigitte Fakhri, 12 Red
Sue Hastings
Learning Enhancement Leader
Page 13
Domain News
Religious Education
Over the past few weeks, the Year 7 students have been learning about the history of the Sisters of Our
Lady of Sion and our own College in their Religious Education classes. They have learnt about the
formation of the Sisters through the stories of our founder Theodore Ratisbonne and how the Sisters
came to start the school here in Box Hill.
A very informative session about the history of Our Lady of Sion College Box Hill was presented by our
College archivist Mrs Sandy Nicholson to the students. As part of this, the students had the opportunity
to look at the archive display, past yearbooks and to try on various parts of previous uniforms. They
also enjoyed participating in a treasure hunt where they had to find and record historical information on
display as well as names of various landmarks around the College. This was a great opportunity for the
students to spend some time in the chapel and the new Notre Dame Centre.
It is wonderful to see how well the Year 7 students have settled into the College and how they are
quickly coming to understand what it means to be a Daughter of Sion.
Anna Gionfriddo
Religious Education Learning Leader
Social Justice Update
The College’s fundraising for Project Compassion 2017 has had a great start. Weeks 1 and 2 saw
donations through collection boxes reach over $820 – a fantastic effort! This is enough to pay for
sixteen people to undertake first aid training in the Philippines to help them and their neighbours during
natural disasters, or for 82 women to have food for a day staying in a shelter in Timor-Leste. As part of
our fundraising, weekly Big Breakfasts are taking place on Friday mornings from 7:30-8:10am.
Students are invited to come along and enjoy a pancake breakfast with their peers for a gold coin
donation. Our first Big Breakfast saw around twenty-five students come together to cook and share
breakfast.
Year 11 students again visited Ozanam House, a crisis centre for men experiencing homelessness, on
March 8. Students and staff took along donations collected by the Year 12s, which were gratefully
received.
Ozanam house was a fulfilling and rewarding experience for both
ourselves and the homeless men from Ozanam House. It really opened
up my perspective on the homeless community and how there are ways
to help these people who just need a bit of our help and time. The staff
and men were very grateful and happy about the donations.
Dorothy Du, 11 Red
Rebecca Bennett and Holly Johnston
Social Justice Coordinators
Page 14
Domain News
Humanities
Last Wednesday we (Year 10 Geography) were lucky enough to be able to travel to Portsea
and Point Nepean to experience coastal erosion and how humans have affected the
environment. The aim of the excursion was to see how real the issue actually is and to show
us that every little thing we do can have an impact on the environment. Tess Hill, 10 Blue
In Portsea we were able to see how humans have affected the environment and beaches that
we take for granted. We were able to see the real-life effects of coastal erosion and how this
has affected the town’s economy and community. In Point Nepean we saw similar effects
taking place. Deborah Ntais, 10 Silver
From our visit to Portsea we gathered many facts that helped us with our study. It helped us to
really understand the environmental problems that occur in our environment that we don’t
notice on a daily basis. The main issue we saw on this excursion was coastal erosion which is
the wearing away of the beach caused by wave action and dredging. We also got to view land
degradation along the beaches as there was littering. Through all the issues we saw, we came
to realise that these actually occur at our beaches and we became aware of how we can fix
them. Renee Bourbos, 10 Silver
This week the Year 10 Economics class spent time at the Melbourne Magistrate's court. We
sat in on multiple cases and heard a few very interesting ones, particularly a bail hearing. It
was a very insightful and informative excursion for consolidating what we had learnt in class
and seeing this first hand at the courts was quite exciting. I found the professional
environment of the court interesting as well the customary acts like bowing to the magistrate
when entering and exiting a court room. Overall it was a great insight into one aspect of a
career in law, and what we could achieve if we were to continue Legal Studies into Year 11
and 12 as a VCE subject. Grace Tarulli, 10 Silver
Sarah Chalmers
Humanities Learning Leader
Physics
As part of studying motion in Unit 3 Physics, we were fortunate enough to be given the opportunity to visit Luna
Park. To promote learning physics in Year 12, Luna Park shuts their doors for a week for Victorian schools to enjoy
and learn about motion through riding their attractions. The excursion was really beneficial in seeing how physics
works in the real world. We got to experience the feelings of apparent weightlessness, the forces involved in
collisions and the effect that gravity plays on motion. It was amazing to actually feel all these forces as opposed to
just thinking and talking about it in class. It was a great day for our class to spend together as it helped us feel more
confident in our understanding of motion and has acted as a great motivator to help us through the year.
Rachael Moloney and Chloe Zoe Gordon, Year 12 Physics
Monique Davey
Physics Teacher
Page 15
Domain News
Mathematics
3.141592653589793238462643383279502884197169399375105820974944…
On Monday, 14 March the Mathematics Learning Area celebrated Pi Day. Pi (Greek letter “π”) is the symbol used in
Mathematics to represent the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. Pi is an irrational and
transcendental number which has digits which continue beyond its decimal point forever. Pi’s infinite nature makes it
a fun challenge to memorize, and to learn more and more digits.
Our Year 8 students have been using Pi and its approximation in classes during their study of circle measurements.
To celebrate Pi day the students were challenged to see who could recall Pi to the highest number of decimal
places. Congratulations to Jasmine Kellock who correctly recited Pi to 225 decimal places. This is a Sion record!
Well done to Annie Squires (97 digits), Hanna Gassmann (89 digits), Olivia Mirra (77 digits), Alexandra
Christopoulos (62 digits) and Sophie Ehlert (62 digits).
The girls also enjoyed a game of ‘pin the centre in a circle’, a class race of organising the first 20 digits of pi and a
yummy pie to eat!
We were also entertained with a musical Pi piece thanks to the musicians from the Year 11 Specialist Mathematics
class.
Many thanks to the Year 8 Mathematics team: Mrs Jo Daly, Mrs Jennifer Kerby, Miss Esther Wong, Mrs Lynne
Shaw and Mr Tom Mifsud who coordinated the activities.
Helen Mulvogue
Mathematics Learning Area Leader
VCE Arts & Studio Arts
Last fortnight, the VCE Arts and Studio Arts students travelled together to the city to visit the
National Gallery of Victoria to see the David Hockney "Current" and the Viktor & Rolf
Fashion Designers exhibitions. We were spoken to by curators of the gallery about the
artworks and the artists behind them, and then we ventured off into the galleries to admire
the many unique artworks, taking inspiration from the pieces that caught our attention. The
opportunity to view these exhibitions also enabled us to practise our analytical skills in order
to gain a deeper understanding of the artworks and garments. Thank you to Miss Amalfi,
Mrs Schwab and Mr Le Fevre for accompanying us on this amazing excursion.
Natasha Palinic, 11 Blue
Page 16
Music News
Sion Shine at the Mass of St Patrick for Schools
It was a tremendous honour to be asked by Catholic Education Melbourne to be the Musical Director for the Mass
of St Patrick for Schools in 2017. Our generous and gifted students were again invited to form a combined choir to
provide the music for this significant celebration. An important role in bringing the music of this Eucharistic
celebration to life was to select instrumentalists to collaborate with students from other schools, and this year some
of our incredible Sion musicians played a vital role in creating the sound track for this special celebration.
Our College Vocal Ensemble started working on the Music and responses for this Mass shortly after the Opening
School Eucharist and it has been the focus of many of our rehearsals. Five string musicians from Sion along with a
bass guitarist and two percussionists also committed to playing in the orchestra for this Mass, and what a
sensational job they all did.
After many rehearsals at Sion, on Thursday, 16 March, we travelled into St Patrick’s Cathedral to join together with
students from the participating schools to rehearse for the first time and sound check in preparation for the Mass
on Friday, 17 March. Our students combined with singers from De La Salle College (Malvern) and St Mary’s Parish
Primary School (Williamstown) and musicians from Xavier College (Kew) to provide the music and singing for the
congregation of over 3,000. We were blessed to have the support and talents of these wonderful students and their
teachers.
The morning of the Mass was filled with excitement and anticipation and our students shone brightly. The hymns
were glorious, moving and beautifully executed. One of the highlights of the Mass was the stirring performance of
‘The Deer’s Cry (St Patrick’s Breastplate)’. The gorgeous harmonies and orchestration echoed throughout the
rafters of the Cathedral and the Archbishop of Melbourne, Most Reverend Denis Hart thanked us in his Homily.
I’d like to particularly thank Merryn Hughes, Lucy Fitzgerald and Rebecca Franzoni for their beautiful vocal solos,
the whole amazing CVE, our wonderful musicians Emma Squires, Annie Squires, Isabelle Welstead, Dorothy Lam,
Beth Reid, Chloe Zoe Gordon, Emily Wans and Bianca Gaudion. Also, Mr James Le Fevre and Mrs Jenni Eury for
their support and generosity.
Our Lady of Sion College is blessed with dedicated, passionate students and this was demonstrated to the
thousands of students and teachers of the Diocese of Melbourne at the Mass last week. Thank you and well done.
Having the opportunity to perform at the St Patrick's Day Mass on Friday was truly an amazing experience. Being
able to work with other schools to put together beautiful pieces of music was so wonderful and truly a highlight of
the whole experience. Being able to perform inside such an amazing cathedral is something I will never forget! I
would like to thank Mrs Beayni for giving us this once in a life time opportunity, as it is something I will remember
forever. Lucy Fitzgerald, 12 Blue, CVE Captain
This was an experience that I will never forget, and I would definitely do it again in a heartbeat. It was an amazing
opportunity to be able to sing with other talented choirs from other schools, in a beautiful, supportive environment,
and it enabled us to grow further as musicians. Matisse Nannes, 11 Purple
Being a part of the Saint Patrick's Day Mass was an unbelievable experience. Coming together with the other two
choirs and singing as one made the Cathedral a whole different place filled with life. It was honestly such a
privilege to be able to perform in front of so many people at once and was such a special day for everyone.
Imogen van Rensburg, 8 Gold
Kristen Beayni
Musical Director and Conductor
Mass of St Patrick for Schools
Page 17
Music News
Music Colours
The Music Department at Our Lady of Sion College strives to imbue a passion and appreciation for music listening,
playing and performance. Encouraging students to set personal goals and make music with others are essentially
inspiring experiences in achieving this. We want to affirm the goodness in all students and recognise their positive
actions, encouraging all students to reach their full potential. The College Colours program acknowledges students
involved with music in the following ways:
The attainment of a Pass in an AMEB examination. 3 points
Attendance at 100% of optional year long ensemble rehearsal. 3 points
Attendance at 100% of all optional ensemble performances. 3 points
Committed member of a second year long optional College ensemble, meeting attendance
requirements for rehearsals. 3 points
Committed member of a second year long optional College ensemble, meeting attendance
requirements for all performances. 3 points
Optional Solo performance at College, e.g. music soirees, etc. 1 point per performance
Assumption of a significant leadership role in Music. 3 points
Demonstration of outstanding music skills in performance. 3 points
Demonstration of leadership qualities within music. 2 points
NB: Ensembles forming part of our formal curriculum are part of our students’ timetabled classes and do not
accrue points.
Making music in one of our 13 extra-curricula ensembles is a wonderful way to be inspired by others and leads to a
range of enriching opportunities, both musically and personally. Like any team, each member is reliant on those
around them to achieve their personal best and support each other in creating the best outcomes for the group.
We look forward to working with our young musicians throughout the 2017 school year and into the future!
James Le Fevre
Director of Bands
You are warmly invited to the Junior Ensembles
Open Rehearsals in the Miriam Theatre
Junior Concert Band 1
Tuesday, 28 March
7:30am - 8:30am
Junior Concert Band 2
Wednesday, 29 March
3:30pm - 4:30pm
Junior String Ensemble
Wednesday, 19 April
3:30pm - 4:30pm
Come and support our Year 7 students as they learn what it
takes to make a great Ensemble.
Page 18
Sports News
It is difficult to believe that Term 1 Sport is almost complete! It has been fantastic to see so many girls getting involved across a variety of
Sports and we look forward to this continuing later into the year.
Our Softballers have had a good year in what is quite a technical game. They have learnt new strategies that will hopefully hold them in
good stead in the years to come. We especially congratulate our Junior B Softball team and coach and Softball Captain Netasha Smith
for remaining undefeated in their zone matches and reaching the Semi Finals.
Our Indoor Cricket players also had a solid year, many of them improving results from 2016. Our Junior Indoor Cricket players just
missed out on a finals berth, while our Intermediate B Indoor Cricket team will play their Semi Final this week!
Our Tennis teams remained quite strong in 2017, with the Senior team missing out by one match to make it through to finals. Thank you
to all of our coaches this term and we look forward to Netball and Hockey in Term 2. Trials are currently taking place and students
should ensure they are checking the student bulletin Sport training timetable to ensure they do not miss out!
GSV Division 3 Championship Swimming and Diving Carnival
Congratulations to all of our Swimming and Diving team for 2017 – we have achieved some fantastic results, which Carnivals coach Mr
Adam Rieusset will elaborate on. I thank him for his dedication and his continued work with this fantastic group of girls.
Katrina Gurciullo
Sports Coordinator
GSV Swimming and Diving Squad
On Tuesday, 21 March our Swimming and Diving squad members ventured into MSAC for the Division 3 GSV Championship carnival for
this year. Qualifying in the top three schools for this division placed us in a good position for this event.
Throughout the day all athletes performed at a very high level and ensured that much enthusiasm spread throughout our squad. Our
Senior swimming and diving squad members performed particularly well and won the senior division of the carnival. These squad
members included: Victoria Elson and Anna Kipping (Swimming Captains), Kitty Magner (Diving Captain), Victoria Ferns, Grace Laidlaw,
Karla Ryan, Adrianna Giust, Eliza Hunt, Kaitlin O’Connor, Hannah Shanley, Ellena Turner, Julia Skoraczynski, Madeline Daws, Sarah
Matthews, Tess Mitchell and Sarah Denmead.
Victoria Elson also broke the GSV record for the 50m freestyle event in a time of 29.09 seconds. Anna Kipping was unlucky not to break
the 50m backstroke record missing out by 0.01 of a second in a time of 33.18 seconds.
Our Junior and Intermediate squads also performed well on the day with our Juniors placing 4 th and Intermediates placing 3rd. At the end
of the day our Swimming and Diving Squad placed 2 nd overall, a mere 2.5 points behind first place. All our squad members are to be
congratulated for an outstanding day of competition which saw every athlete get the very best out of themselves.
I would like to thank Ms Katrina Gurciullo, Miss Stephanie Peters, Mrs Claire Taylor, Mr Paul Whitely, Miss Jaclyn Taylor, Miss Ellie Van
Der Westhuizen, Miss Jordyn Frood and two past students, Lucy Kim and Nicolette Shallvey (both from the class of 2016) for all their
efforts and support to ensure that as a College, we have had our most successful swimming and diving season to date in the GSV
competition.
GSV Champion of Champions Swimming and Diving Carnival.
Congratulations to the following students who have qualified to participate in the Champion of Champions Carnival to be held on
Tuesday, 28 March at MSAC. The following students have been identified as one of the top 10 place getters from all GSV carnivals that
were held earlier this week:
Kitty Magner (Year 12), Sarah Zhang (Year 7), Victoria Elson (Year 12), Anna Kipping (Year 11), Imogen van Rensburg (Year 8), Brooke
Taylor (Year 10), Jessica Pon (Year 10), Victoria Ferns (Year 12), Karla Ryan (Year 12), Grace Laidlaw (Year 12), Lily Michelangeli
(Year 10) and Holley Freeman (Year 10).
Adam Rieusset
Swimming and
Diving Coach
Page 19
House News
Junior and Intermediate Theatre Sports
Drama Captain Rebecca Franzoni led the Junior and then the Intermediate Theatre Sports
Competitions this year which were an excellent opportunity for the students to show off their growing
Drama skills. For the Juniors, on Monday 20 March, all four houses competed with the top two,
Fatima and Lourdes Houses going through to the final on Tuesday, 21 March. Congratulations to
Lourdes House who won the Junior Final, and of course, to all competitors who participated and
shared their light with the Houses.
On Wednesday, 22 March, it was the Intermediates’ round where all four houses competed with
Fatima and Loreto Houses going through to the final on Thursday, 23 March. A big congratulations
to Fatima House for the fantastic win.
The success of the event is due to the hard work of all our Drama teachers, and of course our ever
supportive House Captains. Many thanks to these wonderful people.
House Performing Arts Theme Poster Competition
This year our House Performing Arts theme is, ‘A Journey Never Taken.’ This theme was entered by
Kiara Fonseka in Year 9, Loreto House. The due date for the Poster Competition has been extended
to the end of Week 1 Term 2. All entries are to be handed in to the House Poster Competition Box
(located in the LHC) or to Miss Taylor by Friday, 21 April.
Siobhan Taylor
House Co-ordinator
Sports Star of the Week
Anna Kipping of Year 11 is our Sport Star of the week. As College Swimming Co-Captain
along side Tori Elson, Anna has been instrumental in the preparation and follow up of our
swim squad leading into both GSV Carnivals. Anna leads by example at all times,
however, her vocal leadership has grown enormously over the last couple of years and
we are proud to see this growth in Anna as a leader. Her individual results have also
been outstanding – she placed 1st in Year 11 50m Butterfly, Year 11 50m Freestyle and
Year 11 50m Backstroke and missed out on breaking the GSV record by 0.01 of a
second at our recent Division 3 Carnival! Congratulations Anna and keep up the excellent
work!
Page 20
Sarah Roberts
Sarah Roberts, currently in Year 12, was
presented with the Julia Flynn Memorial
award for secondary students at the
Catholic Education Art Exhibition awards
ceremony on Sunday, 19 March. In her
artworks, Sarah explored her fascination
with the foreign through two extensive
embroidery pieces. She developed a
spaced-out linear hand embroidered
technique to represent in one work an array
of condiments and in the other a collection
of soft drink cans representing 28 different
countries of the world. Embracing the global
impact of multiculturalism on our society the
intricate detail allows the viewer to
experience the sensations when confronted
with the foreign.
Chess Report
Chess Victoria Secondary Girls Interschool Tournament
On Friday, 21 March several students represented the College in a Chess Victoria Secondary Interschool tournament
which was held at Our Lady of Mercy College in Heidelberg. Twelve teams from a number of secondary girls schools
competed in this event including two teams from Our Lady of Sion College, both of which performed well. The Our Lady
of Sion 1 team finished in fifth place and five students from this team have qualified to play in the Chess Victoria
Secondary Girls State Finals which will be held in October. The Our Lady of Sion 2 team finished in seventh place which
was also a good effort.
We congratulate the following students who participated in this tournament:
Year 11:
Year 10:
Year 9:
Year 8:
Alexandra Berns
Brivina Paulcy, Ella Connolly, Maggie Stephens & Tea Tsagarakis
Alexandra Boffa, Mia Connolly, Naomi Tan & Amelia Webb
Madeline Ballingall, Allison Boscariol, Brisna Paulcy, Alice Reid & Miette Salinas-Byrne
Chris Zuccala
Chess Coordinator
Page 21
General Information
Learning Resource Centre
Late in 2016, the Library asked the Learning Areas through the Curriculum team for feedback about
particular skills and services we could offer our students for 2017 and beyond. This resulted in classes
being created to support students in the following areas:
• Plagiarism and Copyright
• Bibliographies and Referencing Resources for assessments
• Library Catalogue, and Library Collection
• Internet and Database Searching
Thus far, three Year 7 classes have had class time with the Library staff about the above-mentioned
skills and we have seen them implementing their new expertise in their research for their assessments
in Science and Language classes. We will catch up with the three remaining Year 7 classes in the near
future, and all Year 8 students, to assist them in this area.
Victorian Premiers' Reading Challenge
As mentioned in the previous newsletter, the Year 7 to 10 students have been registered for the
Victorian Premiers' Reading Challenge. As of Monday, 20 March the Challenge has begun. We
strongly encourage the girls to participate in this activity; it encourages everyone to read and broaden
their circles of literature and imagination. It will end on Friday, 8 September 2017.
We will keep everyone updated as things proceed.
Talei Valucava
College Librarian
From the College Psychologist
A few tips for Parents/Guardians:
Sometimes it can be tricky to get information out of the girls, especially about school. It is important to
have positive and open communication about the things going on in their life, especially if at times
they are not going so well. Sometimes we need to ask more than “so how was school today?” Below
you will find some suggestions on how to start the conversation a little bit differently, and try to find out
a bit more about how your daughter is going at school:
- Ask them to share their best and worst of their day, and don’t forget to share yours
- “Tell me something that made you laugh today”
- Ask them how they helped someone today, and how someone helped them
- You can ask specific questions about their friends, and follow up with conversations that
you have previously had
- “What are you feeling most worried about at school at the moment?”
- Ask them what their school would be better with, and what would it be better without
- “If today had a theme song, what would it be?”
- You could ask them to tell you about 1 or 2 questions they might have had during class
today, especially if it wasn’t answered
- “If your day at school was an emoji, what would it be?”
- Explore with them what they’re learning about in their favourite subject
If you would like to discuss any of this further, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with myself, Lisa or
Janine at [email protected] or on 9890 9097.
Wishing everyone a wonderful term break and a safe and enjoyable Easter!
Sofia Stignitta
College Psychologist
Page 22
Parent News
Page 23
Parent News
OUR LADY OF SION COLLEGE
PARENTS’ ASSOCIATION
All members of the Sion parent community are also members of the Parents’ Association.
We welcome parent involvement at any PA activity or meeting.
Any contribution of time is greatly appreciated.
TERM 2:
Friday, 28 April
Monday, 8 May
Thursday, 11 May
Tuesday, 16 May
Year 8 & 9 Parent/Guardian Social Event (Dinner)
Significant Women’s Breakfast (PA Sponsored Event)
Year 7 Family Eucharist - 7:00pm (PA Sponsored Event)
Parents’ Association Meeting
TERM 3:
Monday, 24 July
TCB
Friday, 1 September
Parents’ Association Meeting
Year 10-12 Parent/Guardian Social Event (Dinner)
Significant Men’s Breakfast (PA Sponsored Event)
TERM 4:
Sunday, 6 August
Wednesday, 9 August
Tuesday, 17 October
Thursday, 19 October
College Working Bee - 9:00am-12:00noon
Sion Open Day - 12:45-5:15pm (PA sponsors the sausage sizzle)
Parents’ Association Annual General Meeting
Year 12 Rose Wrapping - 2:30pm-3:30pm
(PA sponsors the Rose Wrapping)
2017 PA OFFICERS
President - Adele Pasquini
Vice President - Debbie Hamshaw
Secretary - Jo Reid
Treasurer - Jackie Sloan
To add your name to our email contact and volunteer
list, please send your details to:
Secretary: [email protected]
Please indicate your daughter’s year level
Page 24
Parent
The Our Lady of Sion uniform is now available for purchase online.
http://www.bobstewart.com.au/products/our-lady-of-sion-college
Friends of the Performing Arts at Sion
The Friends of Performing Arts at Our Lady of Sion College (FoPA-S) aims to provide
opportunities for community engagement through involvement in Music and Drama. The FoPAS will be advocates for the Performing Arts throughout the College Community and beyond, and
will provide appropriate assistance to support the learning experiences of our students.
To join our wonderful FoPA-S family and get involved in supporting drama and music please
visit the following link:
https://docs.google.com/forms/FoPA-S
Page 25
Dear Parents/Guardians
The Victorian Government has announced $148
million over four years for the Camps, Sports and
Excursion Fund (CSEF). Families who hold a valid
means-tested concession card or are temporary
foster parents are eligible to apply to the fund. An
allowance of $225 per eligible student will be paid
to the College to use towards school trips and
sporting activities for the eligible student. The
above flyer provides more information. An
application form is available from the CSEF
website: www.education.vic.gov.au/csef. You can
also obtain an application form from the College
office.
Page 26